At the present time the use of motorcycles is becoming more and more widespread, not only in the U.S. but in many foreign countries. It is believed that this trend may be attributed to the energy crisis. Coincidental with this trend, the public is now becoming conscious of the desirability of stopping at parks or other outdoor areas for resting and sleeping purposes. Thus, the desirability of a trailer for a motorcycle which will provide sleeping facilities is on the upturn so far as public acceptance is concerned.
Broadly speaking, motorcycle trailers are known. Moreover there is, in the known art, at least one example of a motorcycle trailer which provides sleeping facilities. Thus, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,975 there is disclosed a motorcycle trailer including a body comprising upper and lower box-like parts with the lower part including a tailgate which is hingedly mounted thereon. Mechanism is provided for holding the upper box-like part in a partially opened or inclined position in the form of a detachable connection between the tongue of the hitch and the center of the upper box-like member.
This known trailer body presents certain undesirable features. In the first place the mechanism for holding the upper box-like part in an open position is unstable. Moreover, the necessity of a hingedly mounted tailgate renders the structure unduly complex, and finally, the configuration of the box-like parts impairs the access to the interior of the body when the latter is open.
In the trailer of the aforesaid patent, each of a pair of wheels is individually supported by a leaf spring. This mode of wheel suspension has been found to be highly unstable and does not provide the roadability required of a motorcycle trailer. The structure for supporting a canopy in an erected position is unduly complex and is undesirable from other aspects.
When a trailer is being towed by a motorcycle it is highly important that the hitch which connects the two be capable of accommodating pronounced cant or tilt of the motorcycle which is created as the cycle makes a sharp turn, at the same time leaving both of the wheels of the trailer on the road surface.